Animal Services in Clarke County
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Displacement Killing of County Dogs
Clarke County Animal Shelter reported that as on May 29, 2026 staff begun daily displacement killing due to shelter overcrowding.
The CCAS Facebook post blamed community residents, stating that “dogs will pay the price because people have chosen not to be responsible and spay and neuter their pets.” However, Clarke County provides no spay and neuter support for this rural, low-income area and demand for the only low-cost spay and neuter opportunity in the region is so great that spots are filled over a month in advance.
CCAS posted another alert on June 15 which was shared by WKRG. How did CCAS arrive at this “Code Red” alert?
- Clarke County has no animal control officers, in violation of Alabama law.
- Clarke County Commission has chosen not to adopt Alabama Code § 3-1-5 to require dog owners to keep dogs on their own premises (and thus far less likely to be producing litters with other loose or outdoor dogs).
- The Clarke County Commission has also chosen not to invest to make spay/neuter accessible to residents. Funding invested in sterilization pays off as intakes decrease in the years following the investment.
- It is unclear how many of the animals at CCAS were relinquished by their owners. CCAS has no obligation to accept owned animals. The acceptance of surrenders needlessly increases deaths — unless done on a managed basis with a waiting period and mandatory surrender counseling to help owners find their own solution rather than enable a cycle of acquiring, surrendering, acquiring.
In response to the crisis, adoption fees were waived for long-term residents. The CCAS post stated that four of the eligible long-term resident dogs entered the facility in 2024, and most others in 2025. Any shelter that is housing dogs for years is doing them, and the community, a disservice.
Impoundment Facilities or Shelters in Clarke County
Clarke County Animal Shelter (CCAS)169 E Grove Hill Ave Hwy 84 E, Grove Hill, AL 36451
251-275-1055
Clarke County Animal Shelter is run by the Clarke County Commission for the benefit of the entire county. Lisa Blackledge serves as director of Clarke County Animal Shelter.
All cities contribute funding to the shelter. Vickie Fendley of All 4 Paws estimated that CCAS receives less than $100,000 per year in government funding.
- Stray Hold is 7 days.
- Spay/Neuter is performed on all animals prior to release to the adopter.
- Animal Census Reports have not been provided, as detailed in the red box below.
CCAS opened in 2015, Vickie said, adding that the building is dilapitadated but clean.
A Failure of Accountability
Clarke County Animal Shelter and Clarke County Commission are noncompliant with the requirements of Alabama’s Animal Census Reporting Act and Open Records Act to report on animal intake and outcomes. The failure to track this information means there is no accountability for use of taxpayer dollars related to animals and no way to effectively budget for that spending.
- County Administrator Christy Roberts stated in May 2025 that she had not heard of the Animal Census Reporting Act.
- On June 17, 2026, we submitted a public records request to CCAS and to Roberts for census reports for 2025 and 2026 year-to-date.
- Follow-up phone calls on June 17, June 22, June 24, and July 14 to CCAS during its 12-2 operating hours were not answered nor has any voicemail or Facebook message been returned.
- Roberts stated on a June 24 phone call that the Commission does not have and would not obtain the census records — despite the fact that the Commission is the records holder for their contracted animal shelter, even though the Commission contracts with the shelter and should be supervising its effectiveness, even though county taxpayers fund its operation, and even though census records are required by state law.
All 4 Paws Provides Critical Support
Clarke County Animal Shelter receives major support from the 501(c)3 nonprofit All 4 Paws, where Karl ‘Pat’ Knight has served as president for 6–7 years, he said, and Vickie Fendley has coordinated the low-cost spay and neuter program for the same many years. All 4 Paws has one paid staff member and many dedicated volunteers, Karl said.
All 4 Paws operates Nifty & Thrifty. Net proceeds from the volunteer-staffed thrift store, which brings in a gross of $100,000 annually, Karl said, are donated to Clarke County Animal Shelter. The organization also generates funding through grants, including $5,000 from Verizon this year to support the spay and neuter program.
The pole barn, outside kennels, and exercise yards at Clarke County Animal Shelter were entirely funded by All 4 Paws. The organization also funded the remodeling of the inside dog kennels. All 4 Paws pays for grass cutting at the shelter.
All 4 Paws has also taken on the publication of impounded and adoptable animals, since Clarke County Animal Shelter staff state that they do not have the time to do so, Karl said. Volunteers take photos, write bios, and share the animals on Facebook. Vickie said All 4 Paws is seeking an adoption coordinator to improve placements of county animals.
Another major All 4 Paws program is the transportation of dogs from Clarke County Animal Shelter and Escambia County Animal Shelter to Buffalo, New York, for adoption in New York. Karl drives a transport van to Cincinnati, where he is met by a van from Nickel City Canine Rescue which completes the route. All 4 Paws also funds the microchipping of the rescued dogs.
Animal Control in Clarke County
Animal Control in Unincorporated Areas of Clarke County: Clarke County has no dedicated animal control. The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office is responsibility for animal law enforcement. Call 251-275-4254.
Animal Control Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction:
- Town of Grove Hill has had intermittant animal control, said Vickie Fendley of All 4 Paws. Call Town Hall at 251-275-3153.
- Clarke County Administrator Christy Roberts stated that the City of Jackson each have an ACO. We did not find any animal control information on any website or Facebook page for the two municipalities. In Jackson, seek assistance from the Jackson Police Department at 251-246-4484.
- Jessie Moss is responsible for ordinance and animal control in Thomasville. Call 334-636-3296. Impounded dogs are held for a very short time, according to the Friends of Thomasville Dog Pound Facebook page, which posts photos of found dogs.
If your ACO is unable to help or if your area has no animal services, see this guidance.
Dog Confinement Requirements in Clarke County
Dog confinement is not required in unincorporated Clarke County because the Clarke County Commission has not adopted Alabama Code § 3-1-5, which would require that dogs be confined to the owner’s premises or kept in the charge of a responsible person if off-premises. There are still steps you can take to address issues or to encourage the county to require confinement.
Dog Confinement Requirements Within Corporate Limits & Police Jurisdiction: It is unclear whether Jackson, Thomasville, Coffeeville, Fulton, or Grove Hill requires owners to confine their dogs. Please email us if you can share information.
How to Report: See How to Report an At-Large Violation.
Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Clarke County
All 4 Paws’ SNYP program offers low-cost sterilization for dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens (including community cats). SNYP is open to all; that is, there are no restrictions on residency or income. Coordinator Vickie Fendley shares the schedule and other information on Facebook. She can be reached by messaging through the Facebook page or calling 813-244-4597.
SNYP appointments are offered once or twice each month. Pet transportation is included from Clarke County (at the Wagarville post office and Grove Hill), and Vickie said she always also picks up in Washington County. Surgeries are done at the new Save a Stray clinic in Mobile. Book early. When we spoke in mid-June, the program was fully booked into July.
The low-cost program includes the sterilization surgery, the required rabies vaccination, and same-day pet transportation, at $70 for cats and $95 for dogs, or $15 for cats or $25 for dogs when a household member is enrolled in Medicaid.
The SNYP program is currently subsidized by a $2,500 grant from Verizon TCC Gives, lowering the price to $50 for cats and $75 for dogs. Vickie is working to stretch that discount through August before grant funds run out. The organization welcomes donations and grants as they would like to be able to continue offering the lower cost to make the program as accessible as possible to residents of this rural area where many residents earn only minimum wage.
In 2025, 224 cats and 98 dogs were sterilized through the SNYP program. With only two solo practice vets in the county who charge $300-400 for the same service, per Vickie, the program is a lifeline for Clarke County and Washington County.
Pet owners who are able to drive to Mobile can book directly with Save a Stray. See Low-Cost Spay/Neuter in Alabama for other options.
Clarke County Documents
- Clarke County Animal Shelter Animal Census Records for 2025 were requested of Clarke County Commission and Clarke County Animal Shelter on June 17, 2026 but have not been provided, as detailed above.
- Clarke County Commission Public Records Request Form: The County Commission does not appear to have a Public Records Request form on their website. Call the Commission to request a form or submit according to the Open Records Act template. Per Administrator Christy Roberts on June 24, 2026, Clarke County only provides financial records and does not accept electronically-submitted requests. Since she said she would not have and would not seek the requested record, I did not ask whether requests are accepted only in-person or whether a mailed requests would have been honored.
Sources
- Christy Roberts, Clarke County Administrator, provided animal shelter and animal control information to Aubrie Kavanaugh on May 5, 2025. Previously, during Alabama Code § 3-1-5 research, Christy stated in a Mar. 28, 2025 email to Kristin Yarbrough that Clarke County had not adopted the statute. On a June 24, 2026 phone call, Christy Roberts stated that our request for 2025 animal census records could not be filled, as detailed in Documents.
- Lisa Blackledge, Director of Clarke County Animal Shelter, 251-275-1055, provided shelter information to Aubrie Kavanaugh on May 5, 2025.
- Karl ‘Pat’ Knight, President, All 4 Paws, 334-357-2806, who said he has led All 4 Paws for 6–7 years, shared information with Kristin Yarbrough on a June 17, 2026 phone call about All 4 Paws and the many ways that the organization and its volunteers support Clarke County Animal Shelter and the Clarke County community.
- Vickie Fendley, Board Member, All 4 Paws, has coordinated the organization’s low-cost spay and neuter program for six years. She shared information with Kristin Yarbrough on a June 17 phone call.
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